4 PDEA agents nabbed for kidnapping, extortion

TAYUG, Pangasinan — Combined elements of local and provincial police here nabbed four agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) based in the Cordillera Administrative Region on Thursday afternoon along the highway in Barangay Terchera here for alleged extortion and abduction.

Senior Superintendent Alan Purisima, provincial police director identified the agents as Chief Inspector Forfillio Calagan, the team leader, SPO4s Marquez Wadcon and Arthur Lucas, and PO2 Edwin Garcia.

Kidnap-for-ransom and extortion charges were filed at the provincial prosecutor’s office here, based on a report of Chief Inspector Sotero Soriano, chief of San Quintin police station. Authorities seized four sachets of shabu inside the vehicle of the suspects — a Toyota Revo — which is now being examined at the Crime Laboratory in Urdaneta City.

The four PDEA agents reportedly abducted Liza Marquez and Dexter Evangelista in Barangay Alac, San Quintin. Later they allegedly asked the victims’ families to pay P400,000 in exchange for the release of Marquez and Evangelista.

The amount was lowered to P150,000 after negotiations but only P110,000 was produced. Evangelista was released but Marquez was held, pending payment of the remaining P40,000.

Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil, Region 1 police director, said relatives of the victims sought the help of the police.

An operation was immediately conducted by elements of the 107th Provincial Mobile Group. Two of the PDEA agents’ cohorts, however, eluded arrest.

Purisima said it was timely that Bataoil, was then in the sixth district of Pangasinan. He rushed to Tayug town and made the necessary probe.

Bataoil immediately called up PDEA deputy chief in Manila, Assistant Secretary Rodolfo Caisip, who assured him that he will not tolerate such misdeeds of his men.

The PDEA regional director for Region 1, Superintendent Jane Aunzo, also confirmed that there was no coordination made to her by the suspects regarding their operation.

Bataoil said he has directed the Scene-of-the-Crime operatives to document and conduct laboratory tests on the four sachets of shabu, three license plates, a Toyota Revo and other items recovered from the suspects.

He ordered his men to disarm the suspects of their firearms while their police IDs and badges were also confiscated. — With Jun Elias, Myds Supnad, James Mananghaya